Donoghue, Emma: Room

Five-year-old Jack was born in and has never been outside the 11X11 foot locked room that he lives in.  His mother was abducted and has been imprisoned here for seven long years.  Their world is very small and confining.  There is a keypad lock that emits a beep whenever their captor is coming in, and Jack’s mother makes sure “Old Nick” never sees her son. She does not want Jack to get to know him nor does she want “Old Nick” to have a relationship with Jack.

The only opening beside the door is a skylight high above their heads.  The walls have been reinforced and been made impenetrable.  Ma has attempted escape, but is thwarted by the cement, ribar and re–enforced glass.  The room was made specifically to keep them imprisoned.  Jack is an active, fit young boy and at five he has learned his lessons and can read, spell and write.  He knows to brush his teeth after every meal.  Jack and his mother count out the cereal pieces every morning, and every other thing his mother can think of to teach him. She doesn’t tell him about the outside world in an attempt to keep him from missing what he does not have, and to keep him from asking too many questions about why he isn’t out there.  He watches an hour of TV every day and thinks Dora the Explorer is real. 

When supply packages that “Old Nick” delivers weekly start to become noticeably smaller and “Old Nick” announces that he has been laid off from his job, Ma begins to worry about their ultimate fate even more than usual.  Jack may think this is all the world consists of, but his mother knows differently and she begins to contrive a way to get them rescued before it is too late.

Told in the voice of a very intelligent five-year-old with limited vision, this story is hard to put down.  Join Jack as he and his mother practice and figure out how to make their escape.  Watch him learn and grow.  Use your imagination and think about what his restriction has done to limit his understanding of the world.  A very gripping novel, one you will have a hard time putting down once you take it up and begin to read.